"Zen mind is our true nature."

Category Archives: Meditation

“To keep the body in good health is a duty… otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.” ~ Buddha

Your health is one of the most important things that you have to take care of. Because of this, a lot of people are doing everything they can just to get the perfect balance of chemicals in their body in order to obtain perfect health. You also need to consider that a lot of people find it hard to relax and control their emotions. You have to remember that anger can contribute to poor health and this is the emotion that you should minimize bringing at as much as possible. It is important that you should never be angry if you don’t need to be angry in order to balance your spiritual self to promote good health and good healing.

Today, a lot of people are not participating in different kinds of meditation in order to achieve balance in their emotions and also in their spirit. You have to consider that meditating can contribute a lot of great benefits for your body. With meditation, you will be able to relax more and you can effectively control your emotions and never be angry if you don’t need to be angry.

“Use your precious energy on something good.”

By not wasting precious energy on being angry, you can put all these negative energies and turn it into positive energies that can be useful in your everyday life. Always remember that…

“Nothing uses up a lot of energy more than anger.”

So, if you are having problems controlling your emotions, problems in relaxing, or you simply want to experience oneness with yourself, you have to try chakra meditation.

What is Chakra Meditation?

Chakra means spinning energy or spinning disk. This is the energy actually circulate around the spine.

Chakra meditation is gaining popularity today because of the health benefits it gives. Not only that you will have better health, but you will also live a happier life with chakra meditation. It is very important that you should do the chakra meditation everyday for at least 30 minutes each day in order to achieve spiritual healing as well as emotional stability.

Learning how to do chakra meditation is easy and everyone can do it. All you need is a quiet room where you won’t be disturbed for at least 30 minutes and a little bit of imagination and you’re off.

First of all, you have to consider that there are seven major chakras found in your body. These chakras are considered to be a very important part of your body that needs to be balanced in order to promote good health. The seven chakras are Shasrara (crown), Ajna (between brows), Vishudda (throat), Anahata (heart), Manipura (navel), Svadisthana (sacral), and Muladhara (root). You have to know how to open up your seven chakras in order to promote spiritual balance and good physical health.

To do this, you have to imagine a spinning light associated with each chakra. Start from Muladhara and work your way up to Shasrara. You also need to know what color of light is associated with each chakra.

You should also remember that it will need the right breathing practices in order to successfully do chakra meditation. These are some of the things you have to know about chakra meditation.

Don’t have time? 2 Minutes Zen Chakra Meditation

If you think you do not have time for chakra meditation, this is a good one for you. Few people have time for one hour, or even half-hour meditation session during the day. But, this can be worked into your day almost anytime, anywhere within 2 minutes!

Here is how.

Speak the first part of the phrase outloud as you inhale. Speak the second part of the phrase as you exhale. Take five seconds on the inhale, take five seconds on the exhale. Repeat each of the twelve incantation ten times. When you are finished you will feel centered and balanced. (Source: Ten Zen Second: Twelve Incantations for Purpose, Power, and Calm by Eric Maise)

(My energy)(is free of blockages)

(My root chakra)(is deeply grounded)

(My sacral chakra juices)(are creative and bold)

(My solar plexus)(feels mellow and calm)

(My heart)(is filled with love)

(My throat)(speaks the truth)

(My third eye)(intuits inner knowledge)

(My crown chakra)(projects inspiration)

(My chakras)(are spinning in alignment)

(My aura)(is colorful and clutter-free)

(My lightbody)(beams brightly)

(I am)(centered and balanced)

How are you feeling now?

Hope you feel much better than before. Let me know how it worked for you.

Adjustment is always needed since our environment constantly changes. Thus, it affects both the emotional and physical aspects of the person creating either negative or positive feelings. This can result to stress.

Stress is a part of everyday lives since time immemorial. But if an influence is positive, stress can motivate a person to an action resulting to a new consciousness and a stimulating new perspective.

But if the influence is negative, stress can create a feeling of rejection, distrust, depression, and anger. In return, health problems can be developed such as an upset stomach, headaches, insomnia, rashes, heart disease, stroke, ulcers, and high blood pressure. People can experience stress during a job promotion, new relationship, child birth, or death of a person close to them.

Stress can hinder or help people depending on their reactions to the circumstances of life. It does not matter if all are positive stresses since it adds excitement and anticipation to life. But somehow competitions, deadlines, frustrations, sorrows, and confrontations also add enrichment and depth to life.

You don’t need to get rid of stress. All you need to do is manage it in a way that it can give you benefits.

Remember that…

“Insufficient stress can act as depressants letting you feel dejected or bored. While excessive stress lets you feel stocked.”

To avoid stress build ups, you can try meditation. Besides it being cool to do, you can obtain an immediate calming effect regardless of your meditation posture. In this manner, you can reduce your stress.

1. Practice Your Breathing

Practicing your breathing is the first process you should learn. If you observe that stress is starting to disturb you, just do a couple of light breathing. Concentrate on your breathing quality. Make sure that it’s light and still. Then slowly breathe deeper.

2. Balance your Posture

The next step is to balance your posture and make it even, head up and back straight. Most people who are stressed out often do a slouching posture while frowning.

3. Clear your Thoughts

Start to imagine that you are swimming in relaxing waves. Feel the flowing waves in your consciousness that is taking away all you stress and anxiety. Make sure your body receives the constant flow of the waves.

4. Find the Root Causes and Deal with It Immediately

Acknowledge your stress and review its root causes. This is a very important step. Denying stress in the meditation process is not good. Clearly speak to your mind that…

“The stress is true but you have the capacity to handle it by thinking straight and finding ways to deal and cope up with it immediately.”

5. Repeat the statement for 10 minutes

Repeat this statement during your meditation process for at least ten minutes or more. Then take control of your stress totally. Think of the person who caused you such stress and made you out of control. Control your mind and remove the stress from it.

6. You have the Right to Be a Peaceful and Free Mind

Finally, concentrate on a decision that you have the right to a peaceful and free mind and nobody can say or do anything against this right, as you end the meditation process. Every time you need meditation, just dictate this decision to your mind.

These steps can do something to change your outlook whenever stress disturbs you. Never be afraid to try, just believe on the benefits that it will give you in the end.

What is Traditional Meditation?

Meditation has always been associated with solitude, tranquility, and physical inactivity. When one talks of meditation, you may usually come up with a scenario in which a person finds a secluded area, closes his eyes in silence, and rests his body while working his mind out.

Does meditation always have to be like this?

“Meditation is an Art of keeping in Touch With Yourself”

Meditation is an art. A method. A skill. A process. It is the art of keeping in touch with yourself, of discovering your entirety and the many facets of your being. It is also a skill that must be developed. It requires discipline and right mindset. You cannot simply think that you will meditate and expect to achieve a result right after. This requires the tuning of one’s consciousness. Meditation typically involves a set of procedures and guidelines to be followed.

Typically, the success of the meditation will depend on the adherence to the given principles and rules. So, any kind of meditation would do the job as long as you follow the principles and rules.

Here is maybe a new concept and style of meditation to you.

Walking Meditation as a Modern Way to a Healthier Life

One interesting form of meditation that deviates from the old and traditional concept is walking meditation. Walking meditation is a lot different from other forms of meditation known to many. For one, you will not have to be physically inactive just to do it. In fact, you need to move and be active – you need to walk! You have to actively engage your mind and your body in this activity in order to experience a holistic positive result. This brings another benefit. Since walking is a daily activity, you can actually grow by meditation everyday!

You also will not have to find a secluded place just so you can meditate. Anywhere will do. Actually, a noisy and crowded place is even encouraged. Here is where the challenge lies.

Here are 4 things that you can put in mind to gain full benefits of walking meditation.

1. No Clinging To Outer World.

Concentration is important and awareness must be focused. You must not allow the outer world to bind your mind into it – by the things that you see, hear, or whatever you perceive. You may be aware of them, but you must guard not to do anything about them. Do not cling to anything.

2. Achieve A Balanced Awareness Between Your Inner Self and the Outer World.

The guiding principle behind walking meditation is achieving a balanced awareness, equilibrium, between your inner self and the outer world surrounding you.

3. Feel the Entire Body While Noticing Your Emotion and Mood.

This meditation will invite you to feel your entire body, all the workings of the parts that make you up, being aware how each of your body parts operates. While doing this, you also have to notice your emotion and your mood. These are all done while you walk.

4. Notice the Outside World Without Doing Anything At All.

The outside world need not be lost in your focus. There will always be stuffs that will catch your attention as you meditate, and you are not to resist. You are not to hang on to these, though. You have to let them pass by, observing them without doing anything at all.

“By bridging the gap between what is within and what is out of yourself, you can take full control of your life and enjoy a healthier and a more satisfied lifestyle.”

This is the real sense of awareness. The ideal result of walking meditation is the person’s consciousness of the outside world while being completely aware of his inner self. When this is achieved, many of the puzzles and complexities of life will become clearer and simpler.

“In the correct meditation posture your mind and body have great power to accept things as they are whether agreeable or disagreeable.” ~ Shunryu Suzuki

In layman’s term, Zen meditation is letting go of pessimistic thoughts and simply relaxing. In Buddhism, it is a contemplative discipline performed to achieve calmness in the mind and body. Most importantly, it aims for a practitioner to understand the nature of life to obtain enlightenment.

1. Find Zen Method

To fully experience positive results of Zen meditation, there are three general methods to consider such as

(i) Concentration; (ii) Koan Introspection; and (iii) Shikantaza.

i. Concentration

Concentration is the main emphasis to start Zen meditation. You need to focus on your breathing which is commonly ministered by counting.

“Let breathing be your shield to any distraction.”

ii. Koan

On the other hand, Koan Introspection focuses on “koan.” Koan is an entity used for meditation.

iii. Shikantaza

“Just sitting” or Shikantaza is meditation where an object has no place, instead mere concentration is needed.

2. Find Zen Position

Once you have chosen a specific method, then it is time for you to be aware of the common positions undertaken in Zen meditation.

There are 4 kinds of meditation position.

i. Burmese Position

At first glance the said position looks like a simple cross-legged position. With the Burmese position, you need to situate your feet so it will be in front of one another and let both your feet relax on the floor. You need to ensure that your heels are pointed towards your pelvis. Also rested on the floor are your knees.

ii. Seiza Position

Seiza is the Japanese term for correct sitting. It can be achieved by letting your lower leg kneel. Make sure that your feet are under your buttocks and that your toes are positioned in a backward manner.

iii. Half-Lotus Position

Indian-style with one leg on the top of the other is the half-lotus position. To achieve such sitting position, you need to be seated on an Indian-style of sitting. After which, lift one leg without letting the legs be unfolded.

iv. Full-Lotus Position

Make sure that you are seated Indian style. Then, pick one foot and take it to the crook of your knee. Let it rest, ensuring that the base of your knee is in an upward position. The final step you need to undertake is to bring the other foot to the other knee just like what you did on the first.

3. Things To Keep In Mind

After you have chosen a comfortable Zen position for you, there are other important considerations you need to carry out: